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Randy Cravens II's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.

Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.

Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.

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Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Randy Cravens II has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2024 Political Courage Test.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Kentucky Congressional Election 2024 Political Courage Test

Pro-choice Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
No Do you support the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade?
Yes Do you support expanding federal funding to support social safety net programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
Yes Do you support a decrease in income taxes in order to balance the budget?
Yes Do you support a wealth tax in order to pay for public programs?
One of the questions above was worded in an unconventional way, and I would like to clarify my position. I would support decreasing federal income tax via programs such as an expansion of the Child Tax Credit, targeted at low- and middle-income citizens. This would, in fact, have a knock-on impact of increasing disposable income, which would serve to infuse the greater economy, yielding a recovery of those taxes and a gain beyond, helping to balance the budget.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations, unions, and individuals?
No Do you support protecting government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
No Do you support increasing defense spending?
Yes Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth (e.g. grants, tax incentives)?
Yes Do you support the federal government increasing funding for affordable housing programs?
No Do you support the federal government taking action, beyond those of the Federal Reserve, to alleviate inflation?
I believe that the federal government has a role through the Congress to investigate the role private industry played in price-gouging which may have taken place during the pandemic and in the years following, resulting in a significant share of the recent period of inflation the American people had to bear.
Yes Do you support the forgiveness of federal student loan debt?
Yes Do you support requiring a government-issued identification in order to vote at the polls?
I believe that the federal or state governments have a responsibility to provide no-cost identification, in order to ensure that all who need such identification can access it. I also believe that the applicable agencies should lean on new technology to ensure that identification can be created for all citizens, including the homebound and disabled, without the need for an onerous trip to a regional agency.
Yes Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
Yes Do you support the federal government allowing permits for drilling on public lands?
I support permits and leases for drilling on public lands, though they must be subject to appropriate environmental impact studies, and they must be based on current forecasted need, rather than speculative. I would also be very open to a requirement of leaseholders to cap abandoned wellheads on a 1-for-1 basis with the opening of new sites.
Yes Do you generally support gun-control legislation (e.g. red flag laws, boyfriend loopholes)?
Yes Do you support a government-run (e.g. single-payer) healthcare program, such as Medicare-for-All?
Yes Do you support expanding paid family AND/OR medical leave benefits (e.g. maternity leave)?
Yes Should the government be able to regulate the cost of prescription drugs?
Yes Do you support increasing security along the southern US border?
No Do you support requiring immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship, regardless of their immigration status?
Simply put, the agencies which should have responsibility for the prompt and orderly processing of migrants are woefully understaffed and underfunded. If Congress could get its act together and provide the funding to the Departments of State and Justice, migrants could be efficiently processed in a timely manner, negating the need for a rush to the southern border.
No Do you support economic intervention as a means of resolving international conflicts?
Yes Do you support the US providing increased offensive military aid to Ukraine?
Ukraine is a very marked exception to my overall outlook on foreign policy. The investment of the United States in Ukraine is one that has largely been focused on renewing our own stockpiles of offensive and defensive weaponry, while providing munitions to an ally who finds itself under attack on its sovereign soil. This has allowed for Ukrainians to defend their homeland while preventing the need for NATO troops to join them on the ground, at least for now.
No Do you generally support increased regulations on social media companies (e.g. Tik Tok, Facebook, etc.)?
TikTok, Facebook, and other like platforms have served as a benefit to their user bases, establishing communities for the exchange of information which would have otherwise been siloed in our own communities. These platforms have generated a creator and reseller economy which is helping folks to pay their bills and earn a living on their own terms. I do have national security concerns around foreign ownership of TikTok, and its ownership of the algorithm which drives traffic. However, I have come to realize that those concerns do not outweigh the right and freedom our citizens have to communicate and share information.
My top priority is simply to legislate. The Congress has been paralyzed for the last two years, and the people's work has been waiting to be done. We need to take some of the most consequential votes of our history in the next session, dealing with topics from abortion, to artificial intelligence, to energy production, to climate change. My top priority is to be there and give Kentuckians a voice in the discussion. Beyond that, I also intend to co-sponsor and pass the The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and do everything possible to secure our Republic and close every security and electoral vulnerability that has been exposed over the past eight years of our politics.

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